5 things to do in the Mat-Su: Weekend of June 30, 2017

This weekend will be kicking off a string of Wasilla’s Centennial events. The city is spending the whole year celebrating with different activities each month.

There will also be live music in Palmer and Wasilla. Friday is also the groundbreaking ceremony where 4-H Riders will cut the ribbon for their new concession stand. With Independence day falling on Tuesday this year, many Valley Residents will still see this as their fourth of July weekend and will likely be taking a four day (or more) weekend. Many will be camping but those of you who are staying in town, there will be plenty to do this weekend and the days following.

Honorable mention: The Pass @ the Park (Music Series) 6-9 p.m.

Free Admission

#1

The 2017 Wasilla Summerfest Carnival

This weekend sees the beginning of the annual Wasilla Summerfest at the Curtis D. Menard Sports Center off Clapp street (formally Mack Drive): Saturday 12 - 9 p.m. and Sunday 12 – 6 p.m. It will look like a mini-state fair with amusement rides for all ages, from A1 Midway. There will rides for the whole family including the Zipper, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Ferris Wheel, to name a few.

Tickets for the rides can be bought individually or attendees can purchase wristbands for $30 that will allow them unlimited access to the rides all day. Vendors will have booths available to pick up various goods. There will be various food trucks and classic carnival treats like cotton candy and hot dogs. Admission and parking will be free.

“Wasilla Summerfest is what we bring to the community, for everyone to enjoy. Everybody’s invited,” said Joan Klapperich, Director for the City of Wasilla Recreational Services.

The Wasilla Summerfest will be kicking off the centennial weekend and following weeks’ events:

City Of Wasilla 4th Of July Parade

11 a.m. parade Start—Downtown Wasilla

Community Mayors Picnic –Iditapark 1-3 p.m.

Free hot dogs, games and live music by Element 47

4th of July Fireworks, 11 p.m. at Wonderland Park

49th State Street Rodders Centennial Car Show

Free admission

July 7 4-8 p.m. / July 8 10 a.m.-8 p.m. / July 9 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rodeo Alaska July 7-9

A1 Midway- Carnival Rides, games, Food and Fun will be available on the following days:

July 1, noon – 9 p.m.

July 2, noon-6 p.m.

July 4, 3-9 p.m.

July 7, 4-9 p.m. *Squirts day* kids under 42 inches tall ride free!

July 8, noon-9 p.m.

July 9, noon-8 p.m.

#2

3rd Annual Valley Revival Concert Series

Every Saturday in July

Beginning Saturday is the 3rd Annual Valley Revival Concert Series, a succession of local artists performing at the amphitheater within the Iditapark (594 W. Nelson Avenue). There will be different artists performing each Saturday until July 29.

Each will have EP releases, so attendees will be able to purchase their favorite local bands’ CDs on-site.

The first performance will be by Bulletproof Jay, a Palmer-based punky-rock quartet. They will release their EP, "Rock Bottom." It will also feature performances by Shifter, The Jephries, French Jessica, SunDog, and Brothers In Arms.

The series is hosted by Local Motion Entertainment. Admission for every show will be free and intended for all ages. All shows run from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. each Saturday in July. July has five Saturdays this year, so there will be plenty of chances to catch local talent on stage.

“Valley Revival began as an idea to inspire the next generation of musicians in the Valley, giving artists an outlet to express themselves and bring an all ages venue to the local scene. … a fun and free way for us to help bring local music back to our hometown and to our youth, in a safe and exciting environment,” the event says on its Facebook page.

2017 Valley Revival Concert Series Schedule:

July 8 - metal band, Distance Defined

July 15 - “groovy rock group,” Beyond The Shak

July 22 - hard rock band, Antigen,

July 29 - progressive rock band, Transitions

To learn more about the upcoming concerts, visit Local Motion Entertainment’s facebook page: facebook.com/localmotionak

#3

Rebel Riders round up life lessons

and cut the ribbon on new concession stand

Today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the Mat-Su/Copper River District 4-H Horse Schooling Show, a 4-H youth program that offers children the chance to acquire many hands-on skills centered on horses, but expands to broader life skills. The program emphasizes learning by doing.

Rebel Riders is a club in the program that helps their members with two main projects: horses and shooting sports. Children ages 9-18 learn how to maintain a horse, how to shoot firearms properly, how to present at shows, and so on. The show will be a live workshop for parents and friends to witness their kid learn their way around a horse.

After the show will be a barbeque at 5 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. The ceremony will be for The Rebel Riders Roundup, a concession stand that is owned and operated by the Rebel Riders 4-H Club. The new stand will serve as a fundraiser for the children’s future education.

Volunteer parents and children will prepare and serve traditional fair food like pretzels and hot dogs at the 2017 Alaska State Fair, with the hopes of future venues and a return to the fair in their sight.

According to Corine Hickey, leader of the Rebel Riders, the idea of the club and its new stand is to teach children life skills. In the case of the stand, children will be learning to handle cash, customer service skills, proper food handling, and so on.

“The kids have to work. Nothing is for free,” Hickey said.

The path of a Rebel Rider is not an easy one, but promises to pay off big for kids wanting to learn to be self-sustainable individuals with a tool belt of useful know-how- on and off the equestrian field.

“It takes quite a bit of discipline,” said Michelle Sturgeon, secretary of the 4-H Horse Council for the Mat-Su Copper River District.

Both events take place at the France Equestrian Center, a main supporter of 4-H, within the Alaska State Fairgrounds.

For additional information on the Rebel Riders, call: 907-707-3734 or email:

msturgeon907@gmail.com

#4

Debut of Rev Alaska: An annual automotive

show where the sky’s the limit

Saturday is the premier event for the all-new Rev Alaska, an annual automotive show that will have an assortment of vehicles on display. Starting at 10 a.m., it will be an indoor/outdoor show taking place at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. There will be cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmachines and ATVs on display. Perhaps the most exciting element to this show will be the helicopters.

Life Med Alaska, the emergency air-ambulance will make an appearance. They will fly a helicopter from Providence hospital to land at the show. Heli-Alaska, a helicopter charter service based in Wasilla will also be on-site, offering helicopter tours across the Valley throughout the day, with varying lengths of time and prices.

There will be an assortment of children’s activities, including bounce houses, Lego robotics booth, face painting, crazy-colored hair and so on. The show will have various local vendors present along with a live DJ.

Rev Alaska will gather 20 local auto groups from across the state to participate in this collective, community-driven event.

Tickets are $5 for general admission and $15 for the Show and Shine. Both can be purchased online at www.revalaska.com or on-site.

“We’ve already exceeded all of our expectations in every possible way. We’re very happy where we’re at today. Next year will be much, much bigger. Unleashed HP is our main sponsor. They funded this project and they have a big vision for the future as well,” said Leon Reynolds, owner of Rev Alaska.

“I’m excited to have them together in one place. For me, it’s about community involvement, coming together for a really great cause; especially for me, raising money for Kids Kupboard. A portion of the proceeds will go to Kids Cupboard and just raise awareness for the charity and how much they do for kids in the summer time,” said Andrea Everett, executive director of Rev Alaska.

The Kids Kupboard program provides meals for children in need (around 6,000 in the Valley) at various locations throughout the summer. For more info and locations, visit: kidskupboard.org

Schedule of Events: ​

Doors open 10 a.m

Life Med Helicopter Landing 12 p.m.

Car limbo 1 p.m.

Rev Demonstrations 3 p.m.

Pinewood Derby 4 p.m. ($300 in prizes awarded to winner’s charity)

907 Pin up Contest 5 p.m.

Life med Helicopter take-off

Car show and Show-n-Shine awards 5:30 p.m.

#5

Braided River Band returns

for family picnic concert at the Musk Ox Farm

The Braided River Band is returning to the Musk Ox Farm for a family friendly concert this Saturday at 7 p.m. The Braided River Band has been described as bluegrass band but they have diverse sound and perform many well known covers as well as their own original works. According to their Facebook page, they feature “your favorite rock numbers, and original songs. Americana, Alternative Country, Rock, and Blues.”

“They’re a fun, upbeat, energized they cover a lot of range from kind of folksy, bluesy to rock. A fun, hang with your family sorta’ band,” said Mark Austin, executive director for the Musk Ox Farm.

There will be no food on site so attendees are asked to bring their own picnic.

“We’re encouraging people to bring a picnic and spread out on the grass and enjoy. It’s an amazing venue to play. It’s such a beautiful place for musicians to play and for people to enjoy music. The band looks out over the pastures in Chugach and everyone else gets to see the stage with the Talkeetnas (mountains) come up behind them,” Austin said.

$15 admission.

Address: 12850 E. Archie Rd. (mile 50.1 of the Glen Highway) Palmer

Oxtoberfest, the farm’s largest and most crucial event will be on October 1 but the tickets will become available at Braided River Band Concert and the Barefoot Movement concert next Friday, July 7 at 8 p.m.

Contact reporter Jacob Mann at 352-2252 or jacob.mann@frontiersman.com